Rendezvous column: River claims young victims

It was a bright sunny June day in 1904, when a bunch of friends decided to go swimming near the Green Bay Railroad bridge in Grand Rapids.

One of the group was 14-year-old Oscar Oleson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matt Oleson, Madison St..

The group of boys headed to the bridge on the Wisconsin River. Oscar could not swim but was trying to learn and so varied the sport by telling the boys he was going to see how deep the water was under the bridge.

Fully aware of the fact Oscar was a non-swimmer, they warned him of the danger, but he paid no attention. The other boys were all in the water near the east end of the bridge when Oscar went down the steps on the north side of the pier and that was the last they saw of him until he was discovered below the bridge, calling for help, but beyond the reach of anybody on the shore who could give assistance.

The Wisconsin Daily Leader told how the alarm was given and within minutes boats were on the scene hunting for the boy. It was not more than 20 minutes before his body was recovered and those present did all they could restoring Oscar to consciousness while others were sent to secure the services of a physician.

Doctors Rockwell and Bellin responded to the call at once and worked over the boy for some time but to no avail.

With six eighth-grade classmates serving as pallbearers, Oscar’s funeral was held at the Norwegian Moravian church on the west side of town.

In May 1907, the Wisconsin Valley Daily Leader told of another victim of the mighty Wisconsin River.

Stating that “The Biron dam seems to have a fatal fascination for fisherman,” they went on to say how 24-year-old Emil Lietzke, Vesper, went with his cousin and two other friends, to fish above the dam. Emil was in a boat by himself when he dropped his fishing pole in the water and it floated toward the dam. Rowing after it, he caught up with it in the swift water that flowed over the “needles” as they are called, and in spite of massive efforts, he was carried over the dam.

Those with him could not find his body even after a thorough search.

It was a week into June, when Ernest Gillmaster, Will Plowman and George King finally found the remains floating in the water below the area where he had drowned.

Undertaker Ragan, was called to retrieve the body and prepare it for burial. Other than some slight disfiguration of his face, the body had sustained no injuries. The funeral took place from the home of his parents in Sigel.

Emil, employed in the shops of the Grand Rapids Foundry, had been well liked by his employers and coworkers.

Once again, Wisconsin’s most prolific serial killer, the Wisconsin River, claimed two more victims.

Rhonda Whetstone is a columnist for Daily Tribune Media, News-Herald Media and Stevens Point Journal Media. Rhonda’s Twitter ID is TribRendezvous, if you wish to follow her musings there. You also can get previews to upcoming columns by clicking “like” Rhonda’s View Rendezvous on Facebook. If you have story ideas of a historical nature, email her at Rhonda.Whetstone@gmail.com.